Ask a Russian

[joycem10]

"old" "you" "mother" is the closest I can come up with and it doesn't make any sence. You'll have to dig into your memory deeper to make it out.

I was told its an insult involving a mother.


Malkin is the guy who left Mettalurg Magnitogorsk this season to play for the Pittsburgh Penguins after "allegedly" being forced to sign a contract with them. He waited until the team was in training in Finland, grabbed his passport and took off. Allegedly threats were made agaist his life and the life of his family by the Russian mafia if he didnt sign the new contract with Magnitogorsk.

The Central Red Army I was referring to was the hockey team not the military formation.

I've loved Russian hockey ever since the night I got to hang out with Darius Kasparitis (I know, not really a Russian) and Alexie Kovalev.

 

[Gelion]

Are there any Russian programs or atleast plans to deal with the population decline? I heard that in Russia they have a system in which parents are given money for each child they have or something similar is this true?

Yeah programs are in place. For example the latest one gives the mother of second and third child the right to get 250,000 roubles (very roughly 7000-8000) dollars when the child reaches aid of 3. This is not only one of them.
However the most important problem is security and stability. A lot of problems need to be solved so that mothers decide that having a baby is worth it.

oh and which brand of Vodka is believed to be the best in Russia?

Home made

 

[Gelion]

I was told its an insult involving a mother.

Most probably was

Moderator Action: Swearing edited out, it's not allowed on this site. Also, English only please.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

Malkin is the guy who left Mettalurg Magnitogorsk this season to play for the Pittsburgh Penguins after "allegedly" being forced to sign a contract with them. He waited until the team was in training in Finland, grabbed his passport and took off. Allegedly threats were made agaist his life and the life of his family by the Russian mafia if he didnt sign the new contract with Magnitogorsk.

Brrr..... I never really followed it. I know Tretiak thought that the guy did the right thing if you want to know . I think so too.

The Central Red Army I was referring to was the hockey team not the military formation.

ROFL Well the more accurate term is "CSKA". Well I would imagine "good enough" because it is always one of the best clubs we have. But I was a baby then so I dont know.

I've loved Russian hockey ever since the night I got to hang out with Darius Kasparitis (I know, not really a Russian) and Alexie Kovalev.

Glad to hear Mind telling us more?
And I hope the Russian hockey will climb back to its former heights so that we can all enjoy it. I did like our performance during the last world chmpionship.. lets see what happens.

 

[Masquerouge]

Why? Here are a few reasons:
- under communism things worked. Medicine, military, police, infrastructure. The fall began somewhere around 1980 and even then it was a good place to live (for most people). Now that changed.
- we were respected on the international scene. If not respected than feared. In any case there was no room for insults like there's now.
- Apart from working systems people had jobs, good schools and all other tings that make the life a nice flow from creche->school->job->old peoples house. There was stability and "civilization" if you get what I mean. Now its getting worse and worse.
- There was peace between ethnicities. Most people understood that "we are all brothers". There was no national hatred except in the heads of a few uncurable nationalists. It was considered "uncivilized" to blame other nationalities or not talk to people because they are from somewhere else.
- People were a LOT nicer to each other. Uncomparably even to what I see in Europe today (including "official politeness")
- We were first in space.
I could go on....

This was an excellent explanation Thanks!

 

[Gelion]

This was an excellent explanation Thanks!

Yeah I'm kinda happy I got it through de rien

 

[Phlegmak]

Спасибо, Gelion.

 

[joycem10]

Glad to hear Mind telling us more?
And I hope the Russian hockey will climb back to its former heights so that we can all enjoy it. I did like our performance during the last world chmpionship.. lets see what happens.

I was in a "Gentleman's" club in Pittsburgh back when they were both with the Pens. Had to be late 90s. Maybe 99. My buddy decided he was in love with a stripper and blew his whole night with her. Kaspar was at the table next to us. He has a great personality, really outgoing, a real player. He knew almost all the girls' names and had two on his arm at all times.

He sent over a drink and we started talking. Kovalev showed up later with a couple of other guys. They invited me to go to a another bar with them. I ditched my buddy and hung out with them. Didnt buy a thing all night. Had a blast. Good guys. Talked hockey, Russia, Lithuania, planes (Kovalev is a nut for flying) and mostly women.

 

[Richard Cribb]

First of all; congratulations with Vladimir Kramnik's victory in the World Chess Championship.
I will probably return to this thread later, but right now I am just a bit curious on this:

I want the people to come back the ideals of Tsarist and Orthodox Russia as much as it is necessary to remain outselves and efficiently cooperate in modern world.

Could you be so kind and elaborate on this?

 

[RoddyVR]

Why did you have to correct joycem10's swear phrase? let him keep using harmless nonsense if he wants to swear in russian. i for one would prefer not hearing him use the correct version of the phrase.
my personal experience with teaching russian swears was when i told my friends in the 6th grade how to translate the F word to russian, and after that they started using it... ofcouse the only one it made sense to use it "at" was me, and i was also the only one that actualy didnt like it... so all the way up to 12th grade, they never got any other russian swears out of me.
i'd call what you did by typing out the swear reprehensable at best.

back on thread topic.
what age were you when you left Russia?

 

[Gelion]

Спасибо, Gelion.

Пожалуйста и на здоровье

EDIT: Sorry Matilda...
Translation:
Thanks
Welcome and "for good health" (as in "hope it serves you well")

I was in a "Gentleman's" club.....

That was fun to read, thanks!

 

[Mathilda]

If you want to chat in Russian, please do so in pms.

 

[Gelion]

First of all; congratulations with Vladimir Kramnik's victory in the World Chess Championship.

He won, didn't he?

Could you be so kind and elaborate on this?

Not that much, however I believe that greater understanding of the culture and the roots will help a lot of Russians find their place in the world, answer questions "why" and "what for". For now the new "americanised" mantality is just killing the health and country in general. Hopefully this will not be prison mentality of Stalinist times. I might formulate something bigger on this later.

Why did you have to correct joycem10's swear phrase? let him keep using harmless nonsense if he wants to swear in russian. i for one would prefer not hearing him use the correct version of the phrase.
my personal experience with teaching russian swears was when i told my friends in the 6th grade how to translate the F word to russian, and after that they started using it... ofcouse the only one it made sense to use it "at" was me, and i was also the only one that actualy didnt like it... so all the way up to 12th grade, they never got any other russian swears out of me.
i'd call what you did by typing out the swear reprehensable at best.

You know I was considering this for some time. On one hand you want to answer the question, because for most foreigners it is "cool". On the other you know what meaning these swearings have and what consequence they might bring (especially provided that the facial expression is wrong).
In the end I've almost never been able to teach any of those words and for the same reasons as you. It funny because I have no problem in swearing in English. Some of my friends believe I do that too often in "inappropriate places"... but English swearings never had any "moral bound" on me. Of course I swear in Russian sometimes, but mostly cautiously.....

Well I guess I'll bold this:
joycem10 dont use that swearing!
Firstly its the kind that can get you in trouble. Secondly you cant get away with knowing just one ...

back on thread topic.
what age were you when you left Russia?

15 and I came back more than a few times for short visits.

 

[Winner]

For you to get the hell out our galaxy!

(Kidding of course)


Want? Humans are boring creatures - they never come up with nothing original.
Personally I want a prosperous, healthy and well runned country where rights of all nationalities are respected. I want a country with strong military, good roads and extensive space exploration program. I want the people to come back the ideals of Tsarist and Orthodox Russia as much as it is necessary to remain outselves and efficiently cooperate in modern world. I want Russians to keep making scientific discoveries and literary works and get proper credit for them.

Good enough.

Basically I want the country to realise the potential it always had.

What about the foreign policy?

 

[Gelion]

Good enough.

Sorry if it was dissapointing

What about the foreign policy?

What about it? Ask specific questions I"ll answer them.

 

[RoddyVR]

You know I was considering this for some time. On one hand you want to answer the question, because for most foreigners it is "cool". On the other you know what meaning these swearings have and what consequence they might bring (especially provided that the facial expression is wrong).
In the end I've almost never been able to teach any of those words and for the same reasons as you. It funny because I have no problem in swearing in English. Some of my friends believe I do that too often in "inappropriate places"... but English swearings never had any "moral bound" on me. Of course I swear in Russian sometimes, but mostly cautiously.....

i wonder if its like that for anyone that moves to a foreign country during their life, or if its just russians? (i suspect its like that for everyone).

for me i think i came here early enough that now both english and russian swears feel like swears to me... the F word not so much as others strangly enough. for my dad, he just cant come to grips with teh fact that the F word is a swear, and not something funny. he doesnt swear and doesnt like it at all when other russians swear in russian, but if someone starts screaming "F you..." and so on at my dad, his first reaction is laughter.
i think my mom is different, my sister must have conditioned her to think of the F word as a swear.

humans are wierd.. aint we?

 

[Gelion]

for my dad, he just cant come to grips with teh fact that the F word is a swear, and not something funny. he doesnt swear and doesnt like it at all when other russians swear in russian, but if someone starts screaming "F you..." and so on at my dad, his first reaction is laughter.

Thanks for bringing some humour... I can just picture this and the faces of those swearing foreigners

humans are wierd.. aint we?

Its human... and thats what is nice about us....wierdness

 

[Gelion]

What is the most trustworthy russian online newspaper with an english edition?

Found another good news site:
http://www.regnum.ru/english/

 

[Whomp]

Gelion--There are approximately 22 of every 100 households headed by someone of Russian ancestry with a net worth of $1 million or more in the U.S.
Why do you think Russians are disproportionately a larger percentage, than any other ethnicity, of millionaires in the U.S.?

 

[Winner]

What about it? Ask specific questions I"ll answer them.

That's what I want to avoid - simply outline your vision of ideal Russian foreign policy

 

[Xanikk999]

How is your economy doing and how wealthy is the average russian?